Unconventional
by goldfishlover73
Summary: Sarada grew up without her father. But without 'a' father isn't true.


AN: Since I felt like shit on my birthday I wrote this. Cheers!

III

He didn't have any right to her. To her time. To that bright smile she seemed to only give him.

He knew that he shouldn't show favorites. He was Hokage. People would certainly talk. Perhaps even hold it against her, but he couldn't help it. And did anyone really blame him?

"Kakashi-sensei!" She called, waving her hand emphatically before dropping everything in that simple minded way children did and dashed towards her.

Her teachers gave her back a disapproving look but rolled their eyes and went back to their business just as she was about to collide with his legs. He scooped her up in his arms, just before she barreled into him. She giggled as he gently tossed her in the air. Her giggles were so intoxicating. Like the air right after a rain storm.

He gently deposited her on the ground. He carefully brushed down her skirt as she beamed with me. "Did you-did you come to eat lunch with me, Kakashi-sensei!?"

He ruffled her dark hair. "Maybe." He had attended to tease her. To treat her like the other students, but Sarada Haruno had him too tightly wound.

She grinned cheekily. "Of course you did!" She turned around and dashed to her forgotten things-mainly her lunch bag.

Kakashi walked deliberately slow behind her. When she turned, her box in hand she frowned at him. "You're walking _too slow_!" She laughed, grinning widely. She ran quickly behind him, pushing his legs to move faster.

"You're pushier than you mother!" He said cheekily. She growled slightly, but still giggled brightly.

It warmed his heart

III

She didn't deserve this. His kindness. His generosity.

A squeal of delight filled her small house. It tugged on her hear pulling her lips into a smile and tear to run down her cheek.

She didn't deserve this.

She did what she thought was right. She married Sasuke and thought he was happy. Thought he would stay. When their daughter was born, he seemed so content.

She thought they would live together, the three of them (maybe more) forever.

But history repeats itself in cruel ways. She watched, yelled, cried to his disappearing back. Her daughter gripping her legs as she yelled his name, begging him, once again to stay. But not for her. For _them_.

Sakura paused as it got very quite in her small house, the house she could afford on her salary at the hospital. One far away from the compound that burned to the ground three days after Sasuke left two years ago.

No one asked Sarada if her father had taught her the Katon. Sakura had just wiped her precious daughters face and told her to bath while Sakura cleaned her soot covered clothes.

Loud whispers Sakura could hear but not understand lofted into the kitchen where she was preparing dinner. She relaxed.

Her smile grew brighter as the whispers died, a shrieking "I'll ask! Just stay here!" and thunderous tiny footsteps filled the hall that led to the kitchen.

"Mommy!" Sarada's face was flush and excited. "Can Kakashi-sensei stay for dinner?!"

Sakura smiled warmly. "If he wants to."

"Yes he-"

Kakashi-sensei peaked his head into the kitchen. "Only if it's not-"

"No, he does." Sarada finished, a little sharpness to her words as she glared up at the Hokage.

Sakura gave him a small nod. The Hokage, the (second) strongest man in the village, slowly raised his hands in defeat. "It's as the little girl says." He dropped his hands, his right ruffling her hair playfully.

She grabbed his left middle finger, dragging him back away from Sakura. "Now that's settled we were in the middle of playing."

"You're so serious." Kakashi-sensei said gravely. Sarada jumped let out a small 'harrumph.'

Sakura smiled sadly. It wasn't long ago that Sarada wouldn't boss anyone around. Wouldn't even talk to her. Ever since the night the compound burned down, she wouldn't smile.

But now, it seemed that's all she ever did. With Kakashi-sensei.

Sakura knew she didn't deserve this. But Sarada did.

III

Sarada could easily recall when Kakashi-sensei came into her life.

She was five. She was setting on the small swing at the academy. Alone. She was apt to doing that, sitting by herself. She didn't like spending a lot of time with the other kids. She had felt that there was something different between them and her. They seemed to feel the same thing and let her keep to herself.

Kakashi-sensei was leaving the academy when she first saw him. She'd seen him other times; mainly in pictures scattered around the house, or at different times at the academy.

He spotted her and then started looking around before coming up to her.

"Why aren't you playing with the other kids, Sarada-chan?" He asked nice enough.

She scowled, not saying anything. She hadn't felt like talking for a while. Maybe that was why the other kids didn't like her.

He watched her for a few minutes before shrugging, walking past. He ruffled her hair, making her scowl hard at him. He only gave her a smile.

It was after that it seems Sarada saw him everywhere. When he came to visit the academy, he seemed to always stop and say hello to her. To smiled brightly and ruffle her hair.

And then there was the one night-even now at age eleven, she called it that "fated night" when she couldn't take it anymore.

She ran away.

She knew it would hurt her mommy but she couldn't live with _it_ anymore. With her mommy always being so sad and everyone always looking at them and whispering. Talking normally in front of her. Like she couldn't hear. About how her father was a bad man, and she too was probably a bad girl too.

She she ran. Her mommy would be happier without her. Without the reminder of the bad man she married. And her-

Sarada could start over in the forest. Or go to the desert, in a new village.

But before she could get two hours out of Konoha, Kakashi-sensei stood in front of her, arms crossed, looking stern.

"Where are you going young lady?"

She jumped hearing the sound of growls and snarls behind her. She turned to see giant monster dogs crowding around her.

She turned and put her hands on her hips. "I'm making things good again."

Kakashi-sensei seemed a bit shocked, probably because it was the first time she'd talked to him.

"By leaving your mother crying, ripping out trees, panicking, trying to find you?"

She looked down at her feet. One of the big monsters turned out to be small, coming up to her knees and was sniffing her sandals.

It tickled a bit, but she didn't smile.

"I just want mommy to be happy again."

Kakashi-sensei didn't say anything at first. The only sound was the forest and the dogs, who all had slowly crept up to her to sniff her.

Eventually Kakashi-sensei sighed. "Your mommy will be happy again, once you start being happy again." She saw his feet and looked up to see him crouched in front of her. "And I think for you to be happy again, you need to stop blaming yourself for your father leaving." She tried to look back down at her feet, but he carefully held her chin, so she had to look at him. "Because, I think, deep down in your heart, you know that it wasn't your fault."

He let go of her chin and she quickly looked at her feet. Cold noses pressed against her bare legs and arms. She saw Kakashi-sensei's fingers find one of the doggie's heads and began to scratch it's ears. Sarada did the same to a large dog that was drooling on her elbow.

"You want to know a secret?" Kakashi-sensei said softly after they had been quite for a while. He didn't wait. "I blamed myself for my father leaving me when I was a little younger than you." She peeked up to him, but he wasn't looking at her. "I too didn't talk for a long time. Smiling, really smiling didn't happen until I was twelve."

"Did that make your mommy sad?" Sarada asked him after a few moments.

He didn't respond at first. "My...my mommy was gone too."

Her eyes widened. Not having a mommy... "Wha-"

"When I was a baby she went to the heavens." He said so softly. "And my father went to join her." He sighed, patting the dog three times and retracting his hand. She did the same. "So, when I see you, it reminds me of me. And you look just as lonely, just as lost as I felt. I just hoped that you didn't feel as empty as I did."

"Who...who came after you?" She paused. "When...when you ran away."

He smiled, moving from crouching to sitting. "My sensei." Even with the mask on she saw how peaceful of a smile it was. "He helped me out of my sadness and made me happy." He looked at her and gave her a wink. "He made me not blame myself."

She nodded slowly. The drooling dog whimpered and pressed against her elbow, slob running down her arm.

The crickets sang loudly in their silence.

Eventually Kakashi-sensei spoke. "Are you ready to go home?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

Kakashi-sensei shrugged. "Well, then have a seat, you're making me nervous." She slowly sat down, dogs moving to make way for her. "I told your mother I'd find you." He said calmly. "So she won't worry."

Sarada nodded. Dogs were slowly curling around her.

After a long time, she spoke softly. "Thank you...Kakashi-sensei." He smiled, his eyes closing, making his smile brighter. He leaned forward and ruffled her hair. "I'll always be for you."

"Ah, here you are." Sarada was jerked out of her memories as Kakashi-sensei walked up. She looked up to him from her cross legged perch. She watched as he looked around, hands on his hips, nodding. "I too have always liked this perch too."

She snorted. "Your head?"

"Ah..." He said solemnly. "It is the best of the Hokage heads."

He sat next to her, his left leg extended, the right bent with his right arm resting on the knee. He didn't speak for a long time.

"I heard he's back." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

She shrugged. "Yup." She looked over to him. He was wearing the jounin uniform without the flak jacket-it was strange not seeing him in his Hokage robes anymore. "My mother send you to find me?"

He laughed, bringing his right hand to his face, scratching his cheek. "Not exactly." He looked to her solemnly. "I heard there was an unhappy Uchiha trying to figure out what happened to his compound. It was then I decided to start my hunt."

She kicked on of her legs out and bent one of her knees. "That thing has been gone for ages." Her heart was pounding in her chest. Over all these years, Kakashi-sensei had not asked her about the burning compound. And she was grateful. Because she was certain she'd go to jail for that.

"You going home tonight?" Kakashi asked causally.

She frowned. "If he's there, never." She didn't look at him. "I'll just say at Ino-ba-chan's house."

He nodded. "Then you won't mind if I stay in your room." She looked over to him gaping. "I got kicked out of my house!" He said solemnly. "And I don't think 'Ino-ba-chan' will let _me_ stay." He nodded. "I think this will work out just fine." He leaned in seriously. "But my clothes are all still packed, I might need to borrow one of your nighties."

"Agh!" She shoved at him, smiling brightly. "What is wrong with you!?"

He ruffled her hair before wrapping his arm around her. "Go blame Naruto-jii. He stole this old man's home."

She frowned. "We already found you a new home."

"The bed is not nearly as comfy. All of my dogs won't possibly fit." She rolled her eyes, her stomach curling and her heart contracting.

"Kakashi-Kakashi-sensei?" She swallowed thickly. "Why didn't you ever marry my mom?"

His hand around her tensed for a brief moment before he replied. "She was already-"

"Even before that?" She growled. "Ever? She-she-we-" She curled both legs up and put her head on her knees. "You'd been so much better than him." She peaked up at him. "You _have _been so much better than him." She tried to keep the tears from escaping, but they rebelled. "I don't want him." His hand pulled her slightly, and she fell into him, crying softly.

"He's-he's so-he left and comes back and thinks things can go back to the way they were." She sniffed. "He came into my house, wanting to talk to _me_."

She buried herself into Kakashi-sensei's shirt. "When I saw him, and how much I look like him, I-I couldn't be there anymore."

Kakashi-sensei didn't say anything so she went on. "I want you to marry my mother." She said softly. "I-I know you want to. And you'd be a lot better than _him_." She gave herself up to her tears. Kakashi-sensei started rocking her slowly. It felt like hours before she was able to calm herself. Kakashi-sensei kissed the side of her head, letting the rocking stop.

"I have always been there for you?" She nodded. "I will always be here for you." He sighed. "This is your mother's decision. And she will make what she thinks is the best for you two. The best for you, really." He pulled back slightly. "And you will respect what she does?" She nodded softly.

They sat that way for a few more minutes. "You ready to go home."

She shook her head. "Are you ready to tell her you love her?"

He let out a small chuckle. "Not yet."

III

Sarada sat nervously in Kakashi-sensei's small bathroom. The whole apartment was stacked tall with boxes, despite being out of the Hokage tower for months, none of them unpacked.

She clutched the towel around her as Kakashi-sensei popped in the door. "You ready?" He held a small box, shaking it softly. She nodded. He slipped behind her and opened the box. Slowly, he extracted the little plastic gloves and put them on gently. "I've never done this before." He said offhandedly. "So it might look terrible."

She shook her head. "I don't care." He lifted a large pink tube out of the box and inspected it. He shrugged.

"You are a bit young for the whole rebellion phase." He shrugged. "Just tell your mother I was a poor bystander." He untwisted the cap and with a large _squelch_ covered her hair in pink dye.

III

Sarada ran out of the academy, clutching her prize. Her mother stood, hands wringing together, at the old tree swing, until she saw the glint of metal in the sunlight. Sakura cheered. "I knew you could do it."

The man to her right snorted. "You were already planning for the worst." She smacked him playfully as her daughter almost crashed into them.

With the fluid motion of practice, the man next to her scooped her up in his arms, and tossed her slightly in the air, setting her safely back on the ground. Her smile brightening.

"Do we call you Sarada-genin now?"

She rolled her eyes as she fumbled with her hiate. "Of course." Sakura gently took the metal headband out of her hand and put it in her hair, tying it gently, but firmly in her hair. The dark band making the bubblegum pink of her hair seem brighter.

Kakashi ruffled her hair affectionately. She grinned brightly.


End file.
